son, no! nor his aged sire.[1] Their own child they had not the courage to rescue, the wretches! albeit they were grey-headed. But thou in thy youth and beauty hast died for thy lord and gone thy way. O be it mine to have for partner such a loving wife! for this lot is rare in life. Surely she should be my help-meet all my life and never cause one tear.
Her. Mine hosts, dwellers on this Pheræan soil! say, shall I find Admetus in the house?
Cho. The son of Pheres is within, Heracles. Tell me what need is bringing thee to the Thessalian land, to visit this city of the Pheræans?
Hec. I am performing a labour for Tirynthian Eurystheus.
Cho. And whither art thou journeying? on what wandering art thou forced to go?
Her. To fetch the chariot-steeds of Thracian Diomedes.
Cho. How canst thou? art a stranger to the ways of thy host?
Her. I am; for never yet have I gone to the land of the Bistones.
Cho. Thou canst not master his horses without fighting.
Her. Still I cannot refuse these labours.
Cho. Then shalt thou slay them and return, or thyself be slain and stay there.
Her. It will not be the first hard course that I have run.
Cho. And what will be thy gain, suppose thou master their lord?
Her. The steeds will I drive away to the Tirynthian king.
Cho. No easy task to bit their jaws.
Her. Easy enough, unless their nostrils vomit fire.
Cho. With ravening jaws they rend the limbs of men.
Her. Thou speakest of the food of mountain beasts, not of horses.
Cho. Their mangers blood-bedabbled thou shalt see.
- ↑ A line is here wanting in the MSS.,but its absence does not destroy the sense.
